Specifications, Availability and Pricing

Right off the bat, the biggest specification that stands out to me is the fans' RPM rating. With a max of 1500 RPM, the Xigmatek RS S1283 reaches full speed where many fans park their low setting. On paper this will lead a few enthusiasts to believe the cooler is destined for the low power mainstream processors, but that is where Heat-Pipe Direct Touch comes in to spice things up.

HDT is the new buzzword going around thermal engineers and enthusiasts right now. The Red Scorpion S1283 has three heat pipes that follow the traditional path, U shaped, from fin to base and back to fin, but with a twist. Instead of putting a plate between the pipes and the CPU, the bottom plate has been removed. This eliminates a barrier for heat to pass through before being released by the passing air from the fan.

Newegg lists the Red Scorpion S1283 as the HDT-RS1283 and lists the cost as 39.99. We are starting to get a good run going in this price range. ZEROtherm, Nexus, SilenX and several others have released products in this price range in the last couple of months, so the market is getting a little saturated. That said, many companies are looking to get a leg up on the competition and the products being offered are actually now competing with the performance of coolers costing twice the price.

Aside from Newegg, I was able to find Xigmatek products available at many e-tail locations, but the retail side is still pretty slim. As the Xigmatek name grows, more retail outfits are sure to pick up the brand. But like everything else, time will tell the full story.